For the past seven years, Leavesden Studios has brought to life a saga that had only once been a part of the collective imagination of millions of fans, fascinated by a boy wizard with a lightening bolt scar. It is here, in this converted Rolls Royce aircraft factory, where the magical and mysterious world of Harry Potter comes to life.
the entire experience is a dream—being given an insightful, first-hand glimpse into the hard work that goes into crafting the world's biggest movie franchise. The first thing that strikes a person is just how big it all really is. It's like a small city with thousands of workers, all devoted to one thing: Harry Potter.
The first stop is the great hall—and it is as big as it looks on screen. There is no blue screen or computer animation. My eyes must have been as wide as Harry's when he first walked through those big double doors in the Sorcerer's Stone. I can't help but think about how incredible this playground is for an actor.
The sets exhibit a level of detail that can never fully be appreciated on screen, surely a testament to the level of respect and love all the people who work on these films have for this "Harry" world.
Dumbledore's office is another real highlight. I took the liberty of sitting at his desk, rummaging through his personal affects, and even deposited a thought or two in his pensive.
In the back of the room on the upper level, there is a working telescope that has never been seen on screen. You can actually sit in it—kinda makes you wonder what Dumbledore might see when he looks through that lens.
Filming for Order of the Phoenix took place while I visited the set, and while I can't describe to you exactly what I saw during filming just yet (more in the next report), I'll tell you what I can.
By now, many of you have watched the scene in the OOTP trailer which depicts thousands of wizards scurrying through an underground network of tunnels as far and as high as the eye can see, known to Potter fans as the Ministry of Magic. Walking through it off camera is similar to strolling through the London underground, upon which the design is actually based.
The Ministry of Magic set is huge, spanning a full aircraft hanger. It is on this very set where Dumbledore and Voldemort have their big face-off. Without a doubt, this is the biggest space I walked into...just gorgeous. It's hard to believe this set will be demolished to make way for a new one.
Everything from the Prophecy set, containing countless golden shelves of bright blue orbs, to the Room of Requirement, is a thrill. Nothing prepared me for walking up the creaking steps at Number 12 Grimmauld Place, however. I faced the portrait of Mrs. Black herself. Number 12 Grimmauld Place is a fantastic set, built just like a house with all the rooms interconnected. It is creepy too. Walking though it in the dark definitely brings back memories of the Shrieking Shack. Ron and Harry have really small bedrooms—I am curious to see how they look on film.
One of the best things on this set is the big wall tapestry, designed by J.K. Rowling, containing the Black family tree. There is some great information here that left me preoccupied in thought for the rest of the day, but I'll have to save that for a later report.
Another interesting sight to see at Leavesden is the big prop storage areas, set up throughout the complex. Imagine rooms full of blue Ford Anglias and countless other delights.
When not exploring sets, I hung around in a room full of photographs and storyboards depicting scenes from the film. I saw many design models for creatures such as the Thestrals, even a full-size visual FX model of a Dementor. It is in this very room that I chatted with many of the film's cast including: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Gary Oldman, Jason Isaacs, Evanna Lynch, and Producer David Heyman.
Daniel in particular makes some notes on what allows him to connect with his character. "Harry is growing into a young man, and he's developing all these emotions that he needs to learn to control. Everyone growing up goes through these changes, and that's why it connects with boys word-wide."
During the various interviews, overall, it is great just listening to these young actors discuss their progression throughout the five films. You really get a sense for the camaraderie they share.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will be in theaters this July 13th—stay tuned for a more in-depth set report, along with the detailed interviews with the cast of OOTP.
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